Owners Manual

Cleaning the outside of your vehicle
9-34 Vehicle care and maintenance
9
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Industrial pollution, road tar, bird droppings,
tree sap, insect remains, sea water and other
foreign matters can damage the finish on your
vehicle.
Generally, the longer any foreign material
stays on the finish, the worse the damage.
Wash your vehicle as soon as possible when-
ever the finish gets soiled.
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Chemicals contained in the dirt and dust
picked up from air, rain, snow, or road sur-
faces can damage the paint and body of your
vehicle if left on.
Frequent washing and waxing is the best way
to protect your vehicle from this damage.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
Park the vehicle in the shade and spray it with
water to remove dust. Next, using plenty of
clean water and a car washing mitt or sponge,
wash the vehicle from top to bottom.
Use a mild car washing soap if necessary.
Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry with a cham-
ois or soft cloth. After washing the vehicle,
carefully clean the joints and flanges of the
doors, hood, etc., where dirt is likely to
remain.
Salt and other chemicals spread on winter
roads in some geographical areas can have a
detrimental effect on the vehicle underbody.
You should flush the underbody with a high
pressure hose every time you wash the out-
side of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other
debris which could trap and hold salt and
moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all
waterdrops from the rubber parts around the
doors to prevent the doors from freezing.
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Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or
when water does not bead up on the paint.
Foreign material
Washing
CAUTION
 When washing the underside of your vehicle
or the wheels, wear a pair of gloves to pro-
tect your hands.
 Never spray or splash water on the electrical
parts in the engine compartment. This may
damage them. Be careful also when washing
the underbody to ensure that water does not
enter the engine compartment.
 Avoid automatic car washers that use rotat-
ing brushes. These brushes may scratch the
paint surface and make it dull.
Scratches are more noticeable on darker col-
ored vehicles.
 Some hot water washing equipment uses
high pressure and heat to clean your vehicle.
Because hot water can damage plastics parts
and seep inside your vehicle, make sure you
do the following when using such equip-
ment:
• Keep the washing nozzle at least 28 inches
(70 cm) away from the vehicle body.
• When washing around the door glass, hold
the nozzle at a distance of more than 28
inches (70 cm) and at a right angle to the
glass surface.
 Make sure to do the following when using an
automatic car wash, with help from either
this manual or the car wash operator, to
avoid damaging your vehicle:
• Fold the outside rearview mirrors.
• Remove the antenna.
During cold weather
NOTE
 When the door is frozen, opening it by force
may tear off or crack the rubber gasket
installed around the door. Pour warm water
to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe
off the water after opening the door. To pre-
vent freezing of the weatherstripping on the
doors, hood, etc., treat with silicone lubri-
cant.
Waxing
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